Spanish bank gains universal identity

NEWS

Twelve Stars has designed a new image for Argentaria, Spain’s third largest bank, now being rolled out to all 2100 branches.

The roll-out, due for completion by the end of the year, is the culmination of five years of work by Twelve Stars. The London consultancy first introduced Argentaria as the new name for the former Corporaciòn Bancaria de España in 1992.

The then state-owned banking group numbered around 30 different banks with no cohesive identity or branding. Twelve Stars developed the name Argentaria, which is derived from the Latin for money, and a flower identity.

The now semi-privatised banking group still retains the individual bank names, such as Caja Postal, but they are becoming sub-brands under the overall Argentaria identity.

Hailed by the Spanish government and consumers as a success, the change is now being extended to interiors and facias. The search for a unique colour scheme led to a graduated yellow to white.

Twelve Stars president Nicolas de Santis says: “Between the Spanish and foreign banking retail brands, all possible colours were utilised. We had to find a unique colour scheme to make Argentaria really stand out.”

Twelve Stars worked with 3M in Kansas City, US, to develop a material for the translucent facias.